Changes in serum inflammatory factor interleukin-6 levels and pathology of carotid vessel walls of rats with chronic periodontitis and diabetes mellitus after the periodontal intervention.

Objective: The effects of the periodontal intervention on rats with type-II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic periodontitis (CP) were explored through observing the changes in carotid artery pathology and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels.

Methods: The rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e. group A (the normal control group), group B (the T2DM control group), group C (the CP control group), group D (the T2DM + CP group), and group E (the periodontal intervention T2DM + CP group). Blood samples of rats were collected from angular veins respectively at the following 5 time nodes: 1 week before the intervention (T1), 1 week after the intervention (T2), 3 weeks after the intervention (T3), 5 weeks after the intervention (T4), and 7 weeks after the intervention (T5); IL-6 concentrations before and after the intervention were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the pathology of carotid arteries were observed by the Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) stain.

Results: The pathological results of carotid arteries showed that the blood vessels of rats in group A were normal in morphology; most of the carotid artery vessel walls of rats in groups B, C, and D were significantly thickened and the fibers were disorderly arranged; the increased thickness of vessel walls of rats in group E was reduced, a small number of foam cells and inflammatory cells were observed, and the irregular arrangement of fibers was improved. In terms of the IL-6 concentrations, during the period of T1-T5, in groups B, C, and D, the IL-6 concentrations in rats were increased (P < 0.05); after the periodontal intervention, in group E, the IL-6 concentrations in rats were first increased then decreased (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: In terms of the long-term effects, periodontal intervention may reduce the inflammations of patients with diabetes mellitus and periodontitis and improve the lesions of carotid arteries.